


Family

by OdeToPedrazar (MyPrivateLaughter)



Series: Five Friends and Francis [13]
Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-07 11:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3172138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyPrivateLaughter/pseuds/OdeToPedrazar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Glasgow</i><br/>Benedick discusses Beatrice with his cousin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

The first sound Beatrice woke to was Benedick’s voice. She was too sleepy to put any effort into being annoyed by it. He was whispering, “Shhh, they’re still asleep.”

“God, your friends are even lazier than you are,” came a return whisper. It was Sarah, Benedick’s cousin.

Benedick didn’t respond and it sounded as if he was putting the kettle on at the kitchenette on the other side of the room. Benedick had slept on Sarah’s floor while the rest of them had crashed on the floor and sofas of the small lounge-come-kitchen of the flat.

Beatrice shifted slightly in her sleeping bag on the tiny sofa and then must have dropped back off to sleep again. What felt like a few days later, she heard Sarah’s voice again.

“I thought last time we saw you, you were going on about how you were never going to get into a relationship.”

“Things change, Sarah,” Benedick hissed.

“Big change.”

“Yeah, well, I never thought she’d ever want to…” He mumbled something that Beatrice couldn’t catch then, “Things change.”

“She seems like a cool person.”

“Bea? Yeah. She’s just fantastic.”

Beatrice wished that she really was asleep now because her chest was beginning to get tight. She knew that he was just saying that to keep up the charade. And yet…

“What’s she going to study?”

“She’s not sure yet. She wants to travel first. She’s really smart though. The smartest person I know. She could do anything if she put her mind to it.”

“Wow,” Sarah softly chuckled. “Benedick Hobbes admitting that someone _else_ is clever. You must really like her.”

“I… well yeah. She’s incredible.”

“And she likes Doctor Who.”

“Exactly. What more could you ask for?”

Beatrice’s eyes were open now, though she was barely breathing. Hero was also awake on the sofa opposite her – the other side of a carpet of Pedro and Balthazar - and caught her gaze. Hero was grinning and raised her eyebrows at Beatrice. Beatrice glowered in response.

Sarah said, “Well, I’m just glad that you’ve found someone to put you in your place.”

“Ah, thanks, Sarah.”

“Guys…” came a groan from the floor, “can you please shut up?” It was Pedro.

“You need to shake a leg!” Sarah responded, more loudly. Beatrice looked around to see that she and Benedick were sitting at the small table with cups of tea in hand. “We’ve got places to go, people to meet.”

“Ugh…” Pedro rolled over in his sleeping bag. “I hate places and people.”

Benedick’s eyes locked onto Beatrice and she didn’t know if she imagined the slight sheepishness or not.

The first place Sarah took them was to the Necropolis, an enormous Victorian cemetery that stood on the top of a hill. It was a dark day and the ground was thickened with slushy snow. An eerie silence fell over the group as they trudged through the forest of monuments and statues.

“There’s fifty thousand graves here,” Hero commented, in a tone of awe.

Pedro gave a measuring glance around him. “There’s probably not that many.”

“No, there actually is,” Hero asserted. “I read it in the guide book.”

Beatrice noticed an intricate celtic cross and paused to read the inscription. Benedick loitered back from the group as well. He didn’t say anything, just stood there with his hands in his pocket and his chin buried in his scarf. “What?” Beatrice demanded.

“What?”

“What do you want?”

“Why do you think I must want something?” Benedick asked with feigned offense.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes. “You’re hanging around like a bad smell.”

“I might not have anything to say. I might just want the pleasure of your company.”

“You do have something to say though, don’t you?” Beatrice countered.

Benedick was clearly considering a more biting response but restrained himself. Then he shrugged. “Well, before you stop being my girlfriend – I mean, stop pretending to be my girlfriend – and start hating me again, I wanted to say thank you. That’s all.”

“I actually think I may be the best girlfriend you will ever have – real or fake.”

And to her surprise Benedick didn’t disagree. He just grimaced and said, “I know you didn’t have to do it and believe me when I say I appreciate it. Big time.”

“Jesus!” Beatrice laughed. “That could almost pass as sincere!”

“Yeah,” and Benedick wasn’t even smiling when he said it, “it is.”

Beatrice really wished he wouldn’t speak to her like that. She did not like the way it made her feel at all – all sticky and disgusting. She much preferred when he had some real vehemence behind his words to help her remember why he was such a dick. “Yeah, well, whatever,” she responded, gesturing awkwardly. “It was fine. No problem. Any time.”

“Any time?” Benedick raised his eyebrows.

**Author's Note:**

> *winces* Here have some Beadick..? *awkwardly offers* Hoping this isn't too too TOO awful..? idk. Why do I find it so hard?!?!


End file.
